The Least I Can Do
by Jane Harper
Summary: Band of Sisters, #2: The band begins to assemble.


Band of Sisters: The Least I Can Do

Jane Harper

Sarah sat in her office cursing softly. "Damn Mallory, why did I promise her this?" She looked at the telephone, picked up the receiver, then put it down again. "On the other hand, what am I worried about? It's not like I never met the woman."

It hadn't been that long since Mallory got out of the hospital after her bout with encephalitis, since Sarah had spent the night in a vigil by the bedside with Jenny McGarry. Since Jenny's ex-husband had asked Sarah to move in with him. Since she had agreed. And now everything had changed.

A voice came out of the speakerphone. "American Red Cross."

"Jenny McGarry, please."

"Hold a moment please."

Sarah laughed to herself. You know your generation has arrived, she thought, when Eric Clapton is the hold music.

"Mrs. McGarry's office."

"Could I speak to Jenny please?" Sarah asked.

"Whom shall I say is calling?"

"Sarah Cooper."

"One moment please."

Her voice came from the receiver. "Sarah, what happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Jenny, everybody's fine. I'm not the bearer of bad news this time."

"Oh thank God. I don't want to have to run for cover every time you call." Her laugh was musical. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to ask you to lunch," Sarah answered.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I need your advice."

"You're doing just fine without me, lady," she shot back with a smile Sarah could hear.

"For the moment."

"That sounds ominous. You sure everybody's ok?"

"I'd really rather talk about this face to face. It's serious but not bad, if that makes any sense."

Jenny laughed again. "Not really, but I was a politician's wife, I'm used to . . . idiosyncratic use of language."

"So when are you free for lunch in the next few days?"

"Lunch looks really bad this week. I'm open for dinner though."

"OK, but you've got to be my guest."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sarah, I know what they pay you. Tell you what, let me pick you up at OEOB tonight, we'll have a girls' night out."

"OK. When will you be finished?"

"Six-thirty sound good?"

"Great. Is the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance ok? That's the accessible one."

"Sure. See you then."

Sarah hung up and smiled to herself, then opened an email window.

To: [mcgarrycos@whitehouse.gov][1]

From: [sarah.cooper@whitehouse.gov][2]

Re: dinner

I know we'd talked about dinner tonight but I can't make it. Jenny's taking me for a girls' night out.

Sarah

That should do it, she thought. He'll be beside himself.

* * * * *

Toby Ziegler sauntered into Josh Lyman's office and closed the door.

"Hey," he said.

"T's'up?" Josh asked.

"You're not gonna like this."

"OK."

"I want to steal your assistant."

"Donna?"

"No, Minnie Mouse. Yes, Donna."

"You can't have her."

"I need her, Josh. _We_ need her."

Josh smirked. "You and the mouse in your pocket?"

"The Bartlet/Hoynes Re-Election Committee."

He leaned back in his desk chair. "Already?"

"They're coming for us, Josh. You saw what happened after the Breakfast."

"Yeah but I was hoping if we ignored it they'd go away."

"Dreamer."

"Well it's up to her." He ran his hand through his hair. "Damn, Toby, why Donna? I'm gonna be useless without her."

"Because she's the best we've got, and she has a low profile. We need somebody to set up the offices, hire a core staff, get the fundraising and volunteer machinery going."

"Why not Margaret?"

"Because we're doing all this behind the President's back."

"Oh shit, you're kidding."

Toby finally sat down. "Nope. If we tell him it's time to run again, he'll just sit down like a mule and refuse to budge. He's not ready."

"Tell me we have to go through _that_ again."

"Looks like it. Leo's gotta have time to stoke the fire in the President's belly."

"So who else knows? You and me and Leo and . . . ?"

"I'm pretty sure he told Sarah."

"So hire her!"

"She's not qualified, Josh. She knows sick people, she knows about computers, but she's no professional political operative. The last thing we need is amateur night."

Lyman laughed. "Been there, did that."

A knock came at the door, and Leo's head popped in. "Hey."

"Hey," Josh said.

"I was just asking him," Toby added.

McGarry came in and closed the door behind him. "Well?"

"It's up to her, Leo. But I think you should hire Sarah away from Hoynes. Anybody can set up an office."

"No. Absolutely not. Even if she was qualified, which she isn't." He shook his head adamantly. "Let's get Donna in here and ask her."

* * * * *

"Donna!"

She looked up to see Josh hanging out his office door, yelling for her. Sighing, she got up to go see what he wanted.

"You howled?" she said.

"C'mon in," he responded.

She walked in to see Leo and Toby both sitting in the office, looking very serious. Uh-oh, she thought, this doesn't seem good.

"I've got an offer for you," Toby began.

Well that's a surprise, she thought; I didn't think I was your type! Saying nothing but with a tiny smile, she waited for him to go on.

"What he means is," Josh interrupted, "he wants to offer you a promotion and a big raise."

"Raises are good," she answered. "Doing what?"

"We'd like you to coordinate the startup for the Bartlet/Hoynes Reelection Committee," Leo jumped in.

"Isn't this a little far in advance?" she asked.

Toby, Leo and Josh exchanged looks. "They want you to start now," Josh responded.

"Do you need to sit down?" Leo asked, moving aside so she could do so.

Donna sat.

"So," she began, thinking aloud, "you want me to leave the White House, go somewhere in the District, take care of renting office space, setting up a staff, and starting the ball rolling?"

Toby nodded. "Essentially."

"That's a really big job," she pondered.

Josh nodded. "And if you feel that it's too much for you—"

"We have every confidence that you'll do an excellent job," Leo interrupted. "Else we wouldn't ask."

"How long do I have to think about it?" she asked, looking back and forth between Toby and Leo.

"We'd like to have your decision in the morning," Toby answered. "Why don't you head on home now and take your afternoon to consider what you'd like to do?"

"Hey!" Josh objected.

Leo shot him a look.

"Hey!" he repeated. "What a great idea! We'll cope, Donna."

"That's better," Leo interjected.

"You go on home," Josh continued, "and think about what a miserable existence you'd have without me to kick around."

"Don't start about your dog Checkers," Leo grumbled.

"Or anyone's good Republican cloth coat," Toby added.

Donna looked at them blankly.

"Never mind," Josh growled. "It's just their old age setting in."

"So can I go now?" she asked.

Leo got up and opened the door. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you, Leo," she responded with a smile. "Nice to see that chivalry hasn't completely died inside the Beltway."

She collected her coat, scarf, and hat and started for the parking lot. Smiling, she thought, "A big raise? Fat chance. But they're gonna have to give me a title that'll rock." She sat at the wheel of her car for a minute, then decided. "Nordie's, here I come."

* * * * *

Margaret stifled a smirk as Leo strode through her office and into his. "Check your email," she said.

He stopped. "Why?"

"Your dinner date cancelled. She had a better offer."

"What? From whom?"

"Check your email." She picked up the phone and hit a speed-dial.

He sat down in front of his PC and pounded briefly on the keyboard. Margaret got up quietly and went to stand in the open doorway, watching him turn pale, then red, then faintly purple. As he turned back toward her and started to speak, she cracked a tiny smile.

"She's on line three, Leo."

"Hey, Toots!" he began, nodding toward Margaret to leave. "No, no special reason. What email?"

She stifled a laugh as she closed the office door behind her.

* * * * *

Sarah moved over to the passenger seat and turned to stash her chair behind it. "Well you were right," she said to Jenny. "Margaret said he turned six shades of purple when he got my email."

"His ears will be burning all evening," the driver responded. "So let's fake him out and talk about something else."

"OK, after I get the business out of the way." Sarah took a deep breath. "They're gonna start running again. Now."

"Oh no, oh God, you poor woman." Jenny shook her head.

"I basically wanted to ask if you had any sage advice."

Her laughter bubbled over like a fountain. "Get while the gettin's good."

"No, I don't have that much sense," Sarah smirked. "Plan B?"

"Buy lots of yarn, you'll be doing lots of knitting."

"OK. I don't intend to sit around twiddling my crochet hook, though."

They pulled up in front of the hotel where they were having dinner, and Jenny gave the car to the valet. Once they were settled, she looked over at her companion with compassion and concern. "You want me to tell you what it was like? I'm not sure I can."

"I'm sorry. Does it hurt that much to remember?"

"That's not it," the elegant redhead said. "Forgive me, Sarah—but I was his _wife_. I had certain obligations, things were expected of me." She spread the cloth napkin over her lap. "I'm not sure what your role . . . I mean, how—" She sighed. "Well, at least you won't be forced to live with it, day in and day out."

Sarah looked into her water glass and desperately prayed to keep from crying.

"I'm sorry, that was callous and cruel." Jenny reached for the younger woman's hand. "Forgive me."

Sarah forced a smile. "You don't know, so I can't fault you."

"Know what?"

"I'm moving at the end of the month."

"Moving where? You're not leaving—!!"

"No." She shook her head. "It's better than that. I'm moving in. With him."

Jenny looked away.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't intended for you to find out this way. I doubt if _he _intended for you to find out this way. I'm sure he wanted—"

"We don't always get what we want," the older woman observed with a sigh.

It was Sarah's turn to reach for _her _hand. "Can we just decide ahead of time to forgive one another for these awkward gaffes? Neither of us means to be hurtful, and we could be . . . " She took a deep breath. "I'd really like it if we could be friends."

Jenny nodded and squeezed her hand. "Yes. We have so much more in common than not. And I'll certainly offer you whatever advice I can, although I obviously wasn't a screaming success in the spousal support department."

"You didn't let him down, lady. It was the other way around."

"I know," she responded with a wry smile. "But we're Catholic, Sarah. We can feel guilty about anything!"

"I hear that! My dad was Catholic. But my mother could match him easily; Jewish guilt takes no back seat to anybody." She grinned at her companion. "So let's just blow it all off and have dinner."

"OK," Jenny responded. "And let me give you a roster of the players you'll be dealing with . . . "

* * * * *

Donna opened her apartment door and looked around. "Marilys? You home?" She put her bag down on one of the chairs and was on her way to change her clothes when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell have you been? I've been calling all afternoon!"

"How nice to hear your voice, Joshua. Thank you for your concern."

She could almost hear him dismounting from his high horse. "I was worried. I thought you'd go right home."

She didn't respond.

"Can I come over? I'll bring dinner."

"OK, but you're not gonna talk me out of this." She smiled to herself as she hung up the phone.

It was only a few minutes until her doorbell rang and she let him in.

"I hope Chinese is ok," he said, putting the bag full of white cardboard containers down on her table. "I brought chopsticks, if you want a fork you're on your own."

They both dug in and ate in silence for a few minutes. Then she looked over at him and said, "I'm going to do this, Josh."

"Why?" he asked. "What'd I do?"

"It has nothing to do with you. It has to do with my not wanting to be an assistant for the rest of my life."

"You're 28 years old! The rest of your life won't start for another ten years!" he yelped.

"You know I respect her a lot, but I don't want to wake up one morning and realize that I've turned into Mrs. Landingham."

Josh put down his chopsticks and the box he was eating from. "I need you, Donna," he said in an earnest tone. "You . . . you run my life!" His hands animated his words. "You keep me from forgetting things, calm me down when I'm crazy, nag me about my galoshes. Who's gonna do that now?"

"I'm sure you'll hire someone every bit as capable as I was when you gave me a chance." She looked at the table for a minute, then looked up at him. "I'd so much rather work _with_ you than _for _you."

He stirred the food around in the container. "So that's it then, there's no changing your mind."

"I'm afraid not." She smiled. "But thanks for the Chinese."

* * * * *

Leo paced nervously around his office looking for something to do. On any other night of any other week there would have been three hundred things competing for his attention, but tonight they all paled in comparison to the catastrophe he was sure was brewing over dinner somewhere in the District. 

For the umpteenth time, he pulled out a briefing book and sat down on the sofa to try to read, with little success. As he was about to give up, he heard a timid tap on his door.

"Hey," Donna said.

"Hey yourself," he responded. "I thought you weren't coming in until morning."

She smiled. "I figured I might as well tell you what I've decided."

"OK. Come on in and sit down." He waved to one of the armchairs that flanked the sofa.

She sat gingerly down on the edge of the seat and clasped her hands in her lap. "I'm flattered by your confidence in me, and a little overwhelmed at the size of the job."

He nodded.

"And I'd very much like to give it a try. I hope I can perform up to your expectations." She flashed another smile which disappeared quickly.

"I know you can do this," he responded, standing up and offering her his hand. "Let's go tell Toby."

She took his hand, and gave it a tentative shake as she stood up. The two walked around to Toby's office, and Leo rapped on the open door.

"Hey," he said to Toby.

Looking up from what he was doing, Toby responded. "Hey."

Leo put on a sly smile. "I'd like for you to meet someone."

Toby looked around the pair in the doorway for someone else, and finding no one, returned his gaze to the newcomers. "Donna and I have met," he offered.

"You've met Donna the Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff. This is Donnatella Moss, Executive Director of the Bartlet/Hoynes Re-Election Committee."

Ziegler got up from his desk and crossed the room with his hand extended. "Welcome aboard, Ms. Director. Is yesterday too soon for you to start?"

She shook his hand firmly and smiled broadly. "As soon as we can replace me."

"No one can replace you," Leo responded. "But we can hire someone else to ride herd on Josh."

* * * * *

"You should come in," Sarah said to Jenny. "I'm sure he'd be happy to say hello."

"I haven't seen him since . . . before the holidays."

"You mean since he signed the papers."

Jenny nodded.

"He's not angry. And I don't think it had anything to do with what he went through over Thanksgiving."

The minute she said it she wanted to take it back.

"What he went through over Thanksgiving?"

Sarah sighed. "We went up to New Hampshire, he had . . . a delayed stress reaction to the shooting."

Jenny's eyes brimmed, and she blinked the tears back. "Is he ok?"

"He's getting there. You know better than I do what kind of baggage he carries."

A moment passed in silence, then Jenny got out to pull Sarah's chair out of the trunk of the car. Once she transferred over, Sarah took Jenny's hand, then pulled her down for a hug. "Thanks for everything."

"Sure," Jenny responded, hugging her back. "Call me, even if you don't need anything." She smiled.

Sarah waved at her as she rolled up the ramp. "That goes for you too. Call me anytime." As she hit the button for the door, she thought well, that's three.

Donna was at her desk in the Bullpen when Sarah rolled in and waved. "He's in his office," she said.

And he was. Sarah rapped on the open door. "Hey Irish."

"Hey Toots."

"You can stop pacing now." She grinned at him.

He sighed. "You're still speaking to me?"

"Leo—"

"Uh-oh. You never call me that."

"Irish—"

"That's better."

"Did you really think my having dinner with Jenny was going to change our relationship?"

"She could tell you some pretty damning stories about me."

"I'm in your meeting, remember? As if I haven't heard 'em already!" She rolled around his desk and parked next to his big leather chair, reaching for his hand. "Words can't hurt us. Silence is what can hurt us."

He looked down at their hands and then up at her face. "So I shouldn't cancel the movers?"

She smiled. "You are such an idiot. You think I'm gonna give up a new kitchen and an accessible shower?"

A knock came at the door. They looked up to find Toby standing in the doorway, holding his coat. "You need anything before I go?"

Sarah let go of Leo's hand and rolled around to where Toby was standing. She stuck her hand out. "Congratulations, Mr. Chairman."

He grinned and shook her hand. "Thanks. Want a job?"

"Toby!" Leo growled.

"Got one," she said. "But thanks for asking."

"He's not serious," Leo said.

Toby smirked. "Yes I am, but I'll let it pass. Leo, I've got Donna's paperwork. We need to talk about how we're gonna explain this to the President. Goodnight you two."

Sarah turned back around. "Donna's paperwork?"

"She's gonna be Toby's Executive Director, if it's any of your business."

"So I'd be working for her, not for Toby."

"You're not gonna be working for either of them! Stay out of this, Toots. You don't need that kind of pressure."

"Yes dear." She grinned at him.

"I'm not gonna get any more done tonight," Leo sighed. "C'mon, let's go home."

They went out the long way, past Donna's desk. Sarah rolled over to her and gave her a hug. "Congratulations, you're gonna be great."

"Thanks."

"Listen, call me in the next couple of days, I've got something I'd like to run by you."

As the gate shut behind them, Sarah smiled to herself. That's four.

   [1]: mailto:mcgarry@whitehouse.gov
   [2]: mailto:scooper@whitehouse.gov



End file.
